The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1887-10-13
DenocTadcPo
SPEECH
OF THE
HON. W. D. HILL
Delivered at Marion on Thurs.
day Evening, Sept. %, 1887.
q E ECH
OF THE
Fellow citissns of Marion County:

Fellow Citissns of Marion County:
l am here this evening ey appointment
M the Democratic State Executive Com
nittee with your approval, to discuss the
political issues pending in this canvass.
This is the second time / have had the
pleasure of addressing the Democracy of
Marion county. The first time was in
1877, the year in which we elected Cover
nor Bishop, the whole Democratic State
ticket, and Democratic Legislature. It
was the year, too, after Mr.. Tilden was
cheated out Of the Presidential Office, to
which he was honestly elected. The times
have changed somewhat since then. At
that time we had been trying for years to
slect a Democratic President, and even
Hter we had succeeded, we were deprived
Il the fruits of a hard earned victory.
Four years later we were defeated. but in
1884 Grover Cleveland was elected Presi-
dent; he was duly inaugurated March 4,
1885, and he is President now.
Is is well enough at this time to recall
Seme of the incidents and issues of these
campaigns, in order that we may arrive at
correct conclusions for the present and the
future
In nevery Presidential campaign since 1868,
notably In 1872, in 1916, in 1880 and in
1884, it was openly asserted by the Repub-
can newspapers and stump orators, that a
change o. the national administration from
Republican to Democratic hands meant
national disaster, bankruptcy and ruin.
That if the Democratic party were re-
stored to power, manufactures would stop;
the banks would fail; the pensions would
stop; the colored people would be remanded
: 10 slavery: that their political rights
wou' d be curt aiIed; and harder times would
be the result. This was the campaign
charge of 1872. and Grant was elected, and
the panic of 1873 followed. This was the
same charge in 1876 aud Hayes was made
President. The Republicans remained in
power and the panic of 1877 followed
with the most extensive labor strikes and
destruction of property every known in
this country. , This was the. same cry in
1880, and Garfield was elected and hard
times came, followed with the closing of
the furnaces and factories in 1888, and the
decrease in wages in 1884 The people of
the United States having been three times
deceived, came to the conclusion that it
could be no worse under Democratic ad-
ministration. So they elected Cleveland
PRESIDENT. and now what is the result?
Have the factories stopped running? Have
the pensions been decreased or stopped? I?
Have the banks failed2 Have the coored
people been remanded to slavery, or their
political rights in any way curtailed /?
In short has single charge made by our
political opponents during all these years
proved to be true, or a single prediction
yerifed2 But in all thsse campaigns the
Democrats also made charges against the
Republicans, of bad administrations and
of evils they promised to reform; they
charged the Republican party with ext,av=
agant administration of the. general gov
eminent; they charged the Republican
party with corrupt on In office; they
charged them with gross abuse of the Civil
Service; they charged them with ruthless
squandering of the public domain for the
benefit OF corporations and monopolies;
they charged them with stirring up and
keeping alive sectional animosities by re.
kindling the dying embers of the war
The Democrats promised an economical
administration of the general government
They promised 10 reform the Civil Service
under the law. They promised that the
rights Of the colored people should in no
wise be inteIfered with. They promised
fidelity 20 the interests of the soldiers
They promised to restore the public do
main to the people in all cases where the
grants were unearned; and wholesome leg.
isla ion for the protection Of labor; and
they promised a rapid extirguishment of
the public debt and a restoration of frater
nal feeling in all the States. They prom
ised also resuscitation Of the navy, which
the Republicans had allowed to become
worthless for service. We have now had a
little more than two years Of the Demo-
cratic administration and the books are
posted. hope tonight to enumerate a
few of the reforms instituted by this admin
ton.
THE PUBLIC LANDS.
Between March 4, 1851, when Mr.. Lin
coin became President. and March 4, 1885,
when Mr.. Cleveland became President, the
sepuhiican party nearly all of that time
were in possession of both the Legislative
and executive departments of the Govern
nent. During that time they gave away 10
railroad corporations more tnan one hum
dred millions of acres OF the public lands
without dollar of compensation. They
also loaned the credit Of the Government to
one of these railroad corporations for one
hundred million of dollars and required
the people to pay the interest on the bonds.
Prior to March 3, 1851. no public lands
we're granted by Congress to private cor
porations. The quantities of lands grant
ed by Congress to corporations subsequent
to that date and prior to March 4, 1885,
when Cleveland became President, is
a.t;uatpd at I46 195 3A acres. Under the